Jewellery Glossary B

Baguette (Diamond Cut)

The baguette cut diamond has long rod like rectangular facets that are often stepped and was a very popular gem cut popular during the Art Deco period. With better technology allowing brilliant cuts the baguettes popularity has decreased but is still prevalent.

Ball Stud Earrings

Ball Stud Earrings, like the name suggests are orb like ornaments that appear to float on the lobe and can be worn by both men and women. The studs penetrate the ear and are held in place by a removable clutch that can often be tightened to secure the items.

Band (Ring)

A ring band is a type of adornment usually made from a precious metal designed in a circular form to be worn on ones finger. The band is often used in ceremonies, as a token of love and commitment or to establish the social status or rank of a certain person. They are often plain without stones or crystals.

Bangle

The bangle is an accessory that can be worn around the wrist and is usually constructed without a clasp or a fixed opening, although some items have hinges that allow for easy fitting. A bangle can be manufactured from all types of materials, from rare and expensive ones like gold, silver and ivory to common glass and plastic.

Bar and Ring Closure or Toggle Clasp

The bar and ring closure also known as the toggle clasp is a type of fixture used in securing bracelets, necklaces and other jewellery consisting of two pieces. One piece usually has a circular shape with an opening and the other is shaped like a “T” that is placed through the opening and turned to form the closure.

Baroque Pearls

Baroque Pearls have an irregular, non-spherical shape that is caused by Nacre layers growing around the tissue nuclear in what some could say in a failed way, while the object in most cultured operations is to achieve a perfect sphere there is still good demand for Baroques.

Barrel Clasp

The Barrel clasp is a very popular type of clutch used in jewellery for securing usually chains or chords. It usually consists of two metal ends that can be fastened together and it’s considered to be best suited for pieces of jewellery such as necklaces, bracelets or anklets.

Bead

A bead is a term used in jewellery to describe a small ornament that is usually spherical in shape but can take on any form. A bead can be made from various materials like glass, stone, plastic metal or wood and can be threaded with other beads to form a necklace, bracelet , rosary or can be sewn on to a fabric for ornamental purposes.

Belcher Chain

Characterised by having a link, usually round or oval, which is wider than it is thick. Thought to be English heritage from the 18th century and popular for women's bracelets and necklaces

Beveled

A bevel setting is essentially a square with the sharp edge shaved off. It can be in any length and have multi bevels around an edge to form a distinctive shape.

Bezel Setting

A bezel involves a metal setting where a gem or other item can sit in it and the rim of that metal extends up, over and encircles it to hold the object in place.

Birthstones

A birthstone is a gem associated with a person’s month of birth. The first mention of a connection between a precious stone and a month can be found in the Bible, as historians believe there was a connection between Aaron’s breastplate containing twelve stones and the twelve months of the year. Gemstones associated with each month of the year are: January - Garnet, February - Amethyst, March - Aquamarine, April- Diamond, May - Emerald, June - Pearl or Alexandrite, July - Ruby, August - Peridot, September - Sapphire, October - Tourmaline or Opal, November - Topaz or Citrine, December - Tanzanite or Zircon or Turquoise.

Bling

Bling or “bling- bling” is the slang term for a very ostentatious type of ornament meant to express a luxurious style of life and a materialistic attitude.

Blister Pearls

Is a type of pearl formed by sitting directly on the shell of a mollusc and is therefore an irregularly disc shaped item that can make great earrings or a flat type necklace. The blister pearl's irregular round form has a very natural look and its iridescent colour gives off all spectrums of the rainbow.

Bolt Ring Fastening

The usual form of this fastener is a hollow ring that contains a spring loaded bolt, when both ends of a chain or perhaps a cord is connected the bolt closes inside the tube and stays shut securing the jewellery item.

Boulder Opal

A Boulder opal tends to have more browns in it than the common form and is often more valuable with tints of green, blue, orange and yellow colours also present. As the name suggests it tends to be found in smaller rounder deposits of rocks and the final gem often still represents this shape.

Box Chain

A box chain, which can also be known as a Venetian chain, is an item that is made up of distinctive square or rectangular interlocking links that are most commonly used as a necklace. It can be worn on its own or it can also be used to hold a pendant, it is a strong secure link chain

Bracelet

The bracelet is a classic type of jewellery used to decorate the wrist and hand. The bracelet can be fashioned from almost any type of material from precious metals like gold and silver to plastic, wood and leather and appears in many forms including a band, chain or hoop.

Brazilian Hoops Earrings

These tend to be large hoop earrings that are 70mm or larger and quite fine at only 2mm in width. Studio Jewellery is a frequent visitor to Brazil and always tend to bring back fashionable large earrings in varying sizes and styles.

Brilliant Cut

Is a cut of a gemstone designed to maximise light entering the setting them redirecting to exit through multi facets to give a brilliant sparkle that is the signature of many diamonds. The shape tends to be conical with a circular head that is bevelled usually once and the face has many cuts or facets to bounce light off in every direction.

Brooch or Pin

A brooch or a pin is a piece of jewellery that is designed to be worn attached to the front of a dress, a coat or suit. The earliest brooches were worn in the Bronze Age, usually to keep the clothes in place, but more recent pins have been used for decorative purposes and even to testify certain status or membership to a specific group.

Brushed Finish

The term brushed finish refers to a metallic surface that has been polished and softened to have a less reflective finish. The metal loses some of its lustre but gains a unique pattern that can be applied to various jewellery items that aim to be more understated.

Butterfly Clasp

A butterfly clasp is a type of closure commonly used in earring studs where the back is held in place by friction which is generated by the relatively large surface area of the shape that resembles the insects namesake. They are simple yet very effective ways to secure the post through the lobe and would probably be the most common clasp for this type of earring.

Button Earrings

Button earrings represent a playful and fun type of adornment designed to be worn on the ear lobe, they were originally made out of real buttons but now are mostly made from metal that resembles that shape.